Some Facts About Liposomal Clodronate

By Roxanne Cruz


Liposomal Clodronate is lately used in many medical researches, mainly as a treatment for autoimmune hemolytic anemia, also known as AIHA. Although some other methods proved to be useful as well, especially splenectomy and the use of corticosteroids, this method could be very useful for achieving good results in significantly shorter period of time.

Clodronate was successfully used for treating bone diseases, but it become very interesting lately for depleting macrophages. Macrophages are destroying red blood cells, and they can be destroyed very effectively using this method. In fact, macrophages actually destroy themselves, and the results last for about one week. His gives a chance to other drugs.

Although clodronate itself wouldn't be able to successfully pass through all cell membranes, using liposomes as the vehicles efficiently solves this problem. Macrophages eagerly eat those liposomes, filling their cells with encapsulated clodronate, until the critical concentration is reached. At this point, they simply destroy themselves.

This drug itself is not toxic, and when it is finally released from those dead macrophage cells, it has very short half-life in the circulation. This means that it will soon be completely removed from the organism by the renal system. Specificity of this method is that these ingredients give very quick results. This is especially important in cases where it is necessary to get a quick response to therapy.

Liposomes cannot get through capillary walls. This means that intravenous therapy can be useful for depleting macrophages in spleen, lung, joints, peritoneal cavity and other organs, including testis. Targeted therapy is also possible, using intraperitoneal injection. Macrophages won't be completely removed, but they are needed for different processes in the organism, anyway.

This method was designed for destroying macrophages in vivo. Although it can be used in in vitro research as well, the problem is that it cannot be removed from the medium so effectively this way. It means it could be accumulated in different cells, and affect your final results. In living organism, it is successfully removed once in circulation, because the kidneys take very good care about it.

The required temperature for storing and keeping this suspension is 4 degrees of Celsius. It is very important to take a good care about this temperature, and to use the product within a few days. Before using the product, it should reach a room temperature slowly. It means you have to leave it there for some time, and to shake it well before injecting it. Other things to remember are not to freeze the product ever, and not to expose it to temperatures above 30 degrees of Celsius.

The quantity may vary, but recommended intravenous injection should be less than 0,1 ml for every 10 grams of weight. This number can be higher in case of intraperitoneal injection of the drug. Clodronate is stored within the liposomes, and the concentration depends on its solubility.

Liposomal clodronate method for making red blood cells eating macrophages destroy themselves proved to be very useful in different treatments. Quickly achieved results aren't permanent, they last for about one week. It is important to adequately administrate the drug, to use separate syringe for your test animals and to make sure to clean the skin before injecting the suspension. This way you will avoid different contamination. If you use the same syringe for all the animals, make sure to shake it each time.




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